7 Chicago Cops Face Termination In Laquan McDonald Probe

The officers, who remain unnamed, were accused of making false reports.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson recommended Thursday that seven officers be fired in the ongoing investigation regarding the death of Laquan McDonald, according to The New York Times.

The seven officers, who remain unnamed, have been accused of making false reports. According to The Times, Johnson does not have the jurisdiction to terminate the officers, who also have the opportunity to appeal the decision in front of the city police board, composed of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s appointees.

McDonald, a 17-year-old Chicago teen, was shot 16 times in 2014 by officer Jason Van Dyke. McDonald’s death lit a long simmering fire within Chicago that led to protests, calls for Emanuel’s resignation, the termination of former superintendentGarry McCarthy, and a Justice Department probe.

The New York Times writes:

Officer Van Dyke, the only officer who fired his gun that night, has been charged with murder and is awaiting trial. His account of the shooting, which was corroborated by other officers at the scene, was contradicted by dashboard camera video of the shooting that was released in November under public pressure. Though the teenager had a knife, he seemed to be veering away from the police when Officer Van Dyke shot him, and the gunfire continued after Mr. McDonald collapsed to the ground.

An initial unreleased report by Chicago’s inspector general recommended that eight officers face termination, but according to the Times, the CPD disagrees. Two other officers mentioned in the report have since retired.